No One is to Blame
by Bella4
Summary: Chapter 10 finally uploaded 9/13. Story is complete.
1. The Darkness

AN

AN: I don't know where this came from. It is a little different than what I would normally do, but I can't get it out of my head. Call it a vicious plot bunny.....Please read and review if you want me to continue this. 

Disclaimer: All things Labyrinth belong to Jim Henson. He was such a cool guy. Mark (sigh) is mine. Bastard.

Chapter 1

The Darkness

I knew that it was going to be a long night when I pulled into the driveway. Mark's car was there and he wasn't in it, but all of the lights in the house were off. I knew what that meant. It meant that he would be sitting on my living room couch, listening and waiting. Waiting for me. Before I turned off the car, I had a fleeting thought of pulling out and driving away, but I knew he would still be waiting when I got back. Since he had undoubtedly heard my car, it would just make him angrier if I decided to leave again. I knew what the darkness meant, but it never stopped me from praying that this time would be different. I grabbed my things from the car and headed for the house.

Mark was a nice guy when we met. He was still a nice guy, except when he was angry. It was his anger that had separated him from his family when they told him that he needed to seek help for his problem. Mark didn't like to have problems. He thought they made people abnormal, different. I didn't know about that last part until recently. He had told me his version of the story, where his parents and siblings pushed him away and refused to have any contact with him. I, always being extremely close to my family, had immediately felt sympathy for him. Once upon a time in my life, I had felt pretty shut out from my family as well. It wasn't until the Labyrinth that I grew out of a lot of my childish fantasies. I tried telling Mark how I used to play make-believe in the park, even when I was a teenager He had laughed out loud at my story, and merely said, "It's a damn good thing that you don't do that sort of thing anymore. People would thing that you were one of those freaks that hang out at the theater downtown all the time."

That's when I knew that Mark hated anything out of the ordinary. I was a little afraid of him when we first started dating, but passed it off as the jitters. Here was this beautiful god of a man whom I was dating. Piercing green eyes that could look straight into your soul. Thick black hair that fell on his forehead just so. He was mine, and I was the envy of all the girls I knew. He would pick me up from work and take me out every night. We saw countless movies together. We did everything that normal (by Mark's definition) couples did on dates. We had been almost inseparable when he had asked me to marry him. I took no time in saying yes, throwing my arms around his neck, covering his face with kisses and mentally declaring myself the luckiest girl alive. 

How quickly our lives change.

We had decided to go on a picnic that fall. It was a beautiful Saturday; the sun was shining, the golden leaves on the trees were making the landscape look as if it was on fire. Picnic lunch packed in the trunk, we headed out in search of a place I had been to in my childhood, Potter's Field. More like a meadow, it had once been on the property of old Mr. Potter, a dairy farmer who had died probably fifty years before. I knew the approximate location of the field, and spent a good hour pouring over a map to look for any familiar name that would lead us there. Mark was growing more and more agitated with all of my uncertain directions and began taking his own shortcuts. After getting us lost, he pulled over and we began arguing. True to form, I said something smart-alecky, and he slapped me. Not hard, just enough to shock me into being quiet and leave a sting on my cheek.

Since then, it has been the way we have ended most of our arguments. But, I was sure that he never meant it. He always said that he didn't and would always make it up to me in some way. He just couldn't control his anger, and he needed someone to support him emotionally. I never thought much about it until he began to leave bruises. But, he loved me and having someone was better than being alone.

Which is why, on that night that I had come home to a dark but not-so-empty house, I was willing to take anything that was coming to me.


	2. When the Darkness Surrounds You

AN

AN: I thought that I knew where this was going, now I am not so sure. Thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter, it was quite encouraging. If you detest violence, then don't read the rest of this story. It is going to get violent from here on in.

Disclaimer: Mark is the creation of the darkest recesses of my imagination. Well, perhaps not the darkest, but a shadowy corner near the back. Sarah and Jareth belong to JHP.

Chapter 2

When The Darkness Surrounds You

My key slid sharply in the lock, and I heard the sound of the bolt echo within the house. A light-hearted welcome and an apology were on my lips when I stepped into the entryway, but they too bounced off the walls. I turned lights on as I made my way through the house, saying a silent prayer with every room that was filled with the warm glow. I reached the living room and stopped, unsure as to whether I should approach or run away from the figure on the couch.

"Hello, Sarah."

Mark's tone of voice sent an icy chill down my back. I reached for the light switch, and before I knew it, Mark was off the couch and clamping his hand around my wrist. He wrenched it away from the wall, pulling it back in front of me.

"Don't. I like it dark. It helps me think better." I could see his eyes, glittering with the silent rage that was inside of his head.

"What are you thinking about?" I kept my tone carefully guarded, not wanting to display the panic that was already rushing through me. I ducked past him and took off my jacket, and set it and my briefcase on the couch.

"I was trying to figure out why your dumb-ass secretary wouldn't let me talk to you when I called earlier. She said you were under a mountain of paperwork and your office door was shut." He moved so that he was right behind me. I could feel the breath coming from his mouth on the back of my head. " You never close your office door, Sarah. Which brings me to a question. What, or should I say who, exactly were you under?"

I took a few steps forward and turned around to face him, almost wishing that I hadn't, "I told you I had to finish that deal tonight to have it for presentation on Monday. I closed my office door because the staff had a goodbye party for one of the girls and I needed a little quiet. Please, lets not fight tonight." I headed for the kitchen before he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him again.

"Why wouldn't your secretary let me talk to you? You've never ignored me before. Who were you with?" Our faces were inches apart.

"No one! I have a temp while Rebecca is on vacation. I told her to take messages for me and I forgot to tell her to let me talk to you." I began to back up, ever so slowly.

"Bullshit! Don't lie to me Sarah!" He followed me.

"I'm not...I wouldn't lie. I'm telling the truth."

"I see the way you act when you are at work, trying to attract attention from all of the men. There isn't one of them that doesn't turn their head when you walk by. Maybe they wouldn't if your skirts weren't so goddamn short."

"But you bought this one for me! I wear it because it thought you liked it."

This seemed to enrage Mark, as he grabbed me by both shoulders and began to shake me. I could hear the shoulder seams of my blouse begin to tear under the strain of his grasp.

"Do I look like I like it to you? What kind of idiot do you think I am? Huh? Answer me, damn it!"

"I..I...don't..." My willpower in keeping the tear back was starting to slip, and I could feel my eyes fill up.

"Answer me, Bitch!"

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I knew there wasn't anything I could say that would prevent him from hitting me. I had tried every possible way to get him to stop in previous fights, but nothing had worked. I shut my mouth and accepted what he was going to do.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, keeping all silent like that? The fucking queen of Sheba?" I tried to keep my balance as he continued to shake me. The seams of my skirt were beginning to give way under my attempts to keep my legs under me.

"Please Mark, I just..."

"No! I am not going to listen to your pitiful excuses anymore. If you're not interested in what I have to say when I call, then you'd better be willing to pay the price."

"But I had no choice.."

"Shut up, you stupid bitch!"

I hadn't seen him raise his hand before he hit me. His muscled hand swept across my face once, twice, forcing my head to jerk back and to the side. I heard a loud popping noise, and prayed to God that he hadn't broken my neck. Then he would leave me, or kill me because he couldn't handle the stress of having to take care of me. I stumbled back across the floor, dragging Mark with me before finally coming to a stop when my back hit the wall.

Mark let go of my arm and I slowly slid down the wall, eyes shut. I couldn't look at him, couldn't meet his gaze. I knew that me pitiful eyes would just make him angrier and he would hit me again. I heard the front door close and Mark's car being driven away after several minutes. I dared to open one eye and peer about my quiet house as if I was afraid that he was going to jump out from any crevice. Once I realized that I was alone, I looked down at myself. My blouse was torn at both sleeves and my skirt had all but been destroyed. Not that it was anything unusual. In a few days, he would show up with a new outfit, roses and champagne, like he had before. What caught my eye was the drops of bright red against my cream colored blouse. Never before had he drawn blood when he hit me.

I began to sob as I got to my feet. I stumble to the kitchen and clumsily tore off some paper towels to clean my face. I ran them under the water at the sink, not caring how much I spilled on the counter or on my clothes. Blindly, I mopped at the blood on my face as sobs racked through my body. Clutching the paper towels to my face, I sat on the cold tile floor, trying to regain my composure enough to make it upstairs. Not even thinking, I cried out to the only one who could possibly hear me.

"Oh, Jareth. I wish you were here."

I felt myself being lifted off of the floor and held tightly to a man's chest. Jareth's chest. I couldn't look into his eyes, so I stared at the amulet he wore around his neck. Wordlessly, he carried me through the house and up the stairs to my room. He laid me on the bed and with a flick of his wrist changed me out of my ruined suit into my pajamas. I finally got the courage to look into his eyes. Time nor age had changed him in the slightest. He still had the ability to take my breath away even when I had not thought of him in years. He didn't look into my eyes, as he seemed more occupied with the task of getting me comfortable.

"This won't hurt." He said as he slid his hand over my face, taking away all of the pain and redness, as well as the swelling that had already begun to misshape my features.

"Jareth, I.."

"Shhh. No need to talk now. Just sleep, Sarah, and dream of pleasant things."


	3. Morning

AN

AN: I decided to take a break from all of the angst that has been and is to come in this story. Just a cozy little chapter to get things rolling between Sarah and Jareth. He is not so gushy in this fic as he is in my other one. He is more in character here. Of course that means that they will argue....and this chapter is no exception! Enjoy! 

Chapter 3

Morning 

My first recollection of the next morning was hearing whispers and the crackling of a fire. As I woke slowly, I got a very comfortable and cozy feeling, like I didn't have a care in the world. Then, the memories of the previous night flooded back. I sighed, and the whispering stopped briefly before starting again.

"Should we wake her?"

"No, you heard what we were told. She is not to be disturbed by anything. You want to face him if we wake her?"

"No, but she ain't doin' nothing else. So, what's the harm?"

I lay in my bed, trying to make sense of the whispered conversation. The fire snapped and crackled on, before I realized that I didn't have a fireplace in my bedroom. My eyes flew open, only to be met by two sets of eyes accompanied by two very knobby greenish-yellow heads. Shrieking, I scooted across the bed, wondering how the hideous things could have gotten in my house. My house? This wasn't my house, my bedroom, my bed, my sheets, nothing. As comfortable as the bed had been only minutes before, the silky dark green sheets definatly did not belong to me. I tried to make sense of it all.

"Oh good. You're awake. Now we can go tell his majesty."

HIS MAJESTY? Looking around and finally taking in the room where I had been sleeping, I realized where I was. It wasn't a terribly large room, but it was a fair size, big enough to accommodate a large chair near the fireplace, the rather large bed that I had been sleeping in, a table on either side of the bed, and a tall wardrobe set against the opposite wall. Stone floor, ceiling, and walls. I knew where I was. I was in the castle at the center of the Labyrinth.

A knock on the door snapped me back to my senses. I told the knocker to wait as I pulled on the dressing gown that was laying across one of the chairs. It was much too large, but I would not let whomever was knocking see me in my rumpled pajamas, regardless of how I looked the night before. I knew who was knocking, but it didn't seem right to greet him with almost nothing between us but the thin material of my pajamas and his clothes.

Tying the belt around my waist, I called out "Come in" and was met with a sight that was not all surprising to me: Jareth with a smirk on his face, leaning roguishly against the door frame and letting his eyes roam up and down my figure.

"Making yourself at home I see. I must say that the dressing gown looks better on you that it does on me." His smile got a bit wolfish, and I fidgeted nervously with the end of the belt tie. In all actuality, I was furious with him, but I only managed to get out, "This is yours?"

"Whose room do you think you have been sleeping in? Despite popular opinion, I do not keep rooms for potential visitors and guests. Chances are that they won't come, and I think it wastes a lot of space. Are you hungry?"

As if on cue, my stomach made a loud grumbling noise. Jareth chuckled and straightened up. "As well you should be. You've slept almost half the day away. Get dressed and we will have some lunch."

"We? I'm not eating with you! I'm not one of your subjects! I will not be told what to do! I want to go home."

"Sarah, I am so thankful that you appreciate the use of my bed _all night long_ and my dressing gown. Now, if you would please do me the honor of joining me for lunch, maybe we can talk about my shortcomings in generosity and hospitality. I will see you in half an hour."

Jareth turned and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone with my rapidly blushing face.

After half an hour of being bathed, brushed, combed, pinched, poked, and buttoned into a simple dress of blue brocade, I was ready to take on Jareth again. The team of female goblins he had sent to help me giggled their way through the entire process, so I was glad to be left alone when they had completed their task. Minutes flew by, and I found myself answering Jareth's knock once more. As soon as I opened the door, the smirk fell from his mouth, and it gaped open for a few seconds before closing to form a thin line.

"You look lovely, Sarah. Shall we?" I decided not to insult him and took his arm, beginning the silent trip to the dining room. Inside, I was still boiling from the fact that he had brought me here without my knowledge. I waited and bided my time before I brought up the subject. I didn't have to. Once we had reached the large dining room and had sat down to eat, Jareth started.

"I can't get used to the fact that you are here."

I dropped my fork and knife and looked at him, astonished, "What do you mean?"

"To have someone else here besides the goblins is very different. I can't say that I have ever enjoyed having anyone come to the castle, but with you I can not decide."

"Why did you answer me then?" I felt my cheeks redden as my body became uncomfortable hot inside of my dress.

Jareth shrugged nonchalantly, averting his eyes from my stare. "I had to come. You called me. Just call it a little measure of my generosity."

"But why bring me here? I do have a life, you know. Mark will call with an apology, and if he doesn't get to talk to me he will be even more upset than he was last night."

Jareth stared back at me, "You call that merely being upset? Sarah, the man could've killed you! That was no small tantrum he was throwing!"

"You were watching? What kind of sicko are you?" I threw my napkin down on the table and stood up, hands on my hips.

"The kind who obviously cares enough to get you out of that situation! I had to bring you back here! It's the only way I knew that you would be completely safe."

His words hit me like a bolt of lightening. As I sat back down, I could see him almost grimace once the realization of what he said hit him. He cared, cared about me and wanted to ensure my safety. At the time, the thought annoyed me to no end.

"I didn't ask for your protection. I don't even know why I called you. I was perfectly fine living my life, in my house, at my job, and with my fiancé! Fine time for you to come along and whisk me away from it all!"

"Yes, from a shabby firetrap of a house and a job that will put you in an early grave if your beloved Mark doesn't do it first! No, here you are and here you will stay until I think that it is alright for you to return." He started eating again.

"What? I have a job and responsibilities! How am I supposed to explain my absence? Am I supposed to just waltz up to my boss and say 'Oh, I decided to take a little vacation. Sorry about the clients, but I am sure that everything is just fine?' Things don't exactly work that way up there."

"Don't worry about it. It's being taken care of."

"What are you going to do?"

Jareth didn't answer me, so I sat glowering at the plate full of food in front of me, poking it violently with my fork every so often. I was desperate to get out of the situation I found myself in, but I didn't know why. All that was waiting for me at home was an empty house and an answering machine full of apologies from Mark. Inevitably, there would be a fight in there somewhere. I looked up at Jareth, who was also glaring at his food. I still thought of him as the villain and I the captive, yet he had never physically harmed or threatened me. I wondered why I was so anxious to leave when I was interrupted.

"Because you still think I am the evil villain. You answered your own question before your asked it." Jareth was still staring at his food.

"Stop reading my thoughts!"

"Stop thinking so loudly. When you are angry, even your thoughts yell at me."

"I can see that it is no good keeping anything from you."

"Then why don't you say what you are thinking? It would save us a lot of time."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"Fine! What do you want to talk about?"

"Mark"

I rolled my eyes. "Isn't there anything else you would rather hear about?"

"You may be talking about anything in the world, but you continue to think about him. That's all I can hear. It is rather exhausting trying to focus on a conversation when another is being played out inside your head. How about we just stick with him for now."

"Why are you so interested?"

"Why do you keep avoiding the subject?"

"Okay, you win. What do you want to know."

"Everything."

For some reason, that was all I needed. I opened up like overflowing flood gates and told our entire story. I told Jareth things that I couldn't even admit to myself. Every fight, every harsh word, every time Mark had hit me played out in my mind and came racing out of my mouth. I watched Jareth's eyes fill with rage as I continued on. By the time I finished with the details of the previous night, my eyes were teary and my voice was wavering.

Both of us sat silent for a few minutes before Jareth reached and took my hand. "I'm sorry, Sarah. No one deserves to be treated that way. Why do you stay?"

"Because it is better than being alone, I guess. I've done the dating scene. I know what it's like. Constantly being judged by what you look like, trying to make decent conversation with a complete stranger. It's a nightmare!"

"And having to worry about how you will cover bruises isn't?"

"It's not like that at all! Mark needs someone who understands him. He needs someone who can help him get through his anger. He needs...."

"He needs a week in the Bog, among several other things." Jareth was beginning to get a dangerous gleam in his eye, one that usually led to something or someone running for their lives.

"No please, don't do anything. It would only make it worse."

"Don't worry. Just make yourself at home here. I will be back later."

Before I could open my mouth, he was gone.


	4. Transition

New Page 1

AN: I am not happy with this chapter. I don't want to chronicle every one of the moments between Sarah and Jareth in the castle, but I don't want everyone to feel rushed through the story. I wanted this chapter to pass like a montage in a movie-scenes from several different days showing the two of them together, stuff like that. But, I don't think that it turned out too well. The balcony scene, however, turned out better than I expected. For those who want to know what happened to Mark, don't worry, you will find out later. Remember, this is Sarah's POV, and it you are getting it as she is. Think of this story as her telling it to someone else after it has all happened. Okay, I will stop now...Go Read!

Chapter 4

Transition

I did not find out what Jareth had done when he finally returned later on that day. He refused to say anything about it, even when I repeatedly nagged him about it. The only thing he did say was that he knew that what had happened would make Mark think about his own mortality more often. When I heard this I shuddered, knowing what Jareth was capable of. I pitied Mark because I knew that he would be confused about what had happened, if Jareth had let himself be known in any way. And Jareth was not good at keeping himself hidden.

Thankfully, I was given my own room that day. I had a sneaking suspicion that Jareth had lied to me when he told me that he didn't have any rooms kept for guests, but decided not to question him. It was lovely in its appointments, all light wood, shining silver, and thick tapestries covering the walls. It was the realization of all of my childhood fantasies-a room that I could escape into my thoughts in. Jareth had come looking for me the next day when I had not appeared at breakfast. I had lost track of time sitting on the window ledge, looking out onto the landscape.

"Sarah?"

"Hmmm?" I answered dreamily. I lifted my head from the sill to see who it was. Jareth stood behind me, eyebrows raised in concern, "Oh! Sorry, I didn't know it was you. I was just wondering something." I slid off of the ledge to assume a more proper position. 

"What were you wondering?"

"Thinking, actually, about how I would thank you for the room. Its lovely. I've never seen anything like it."

"Yes, well, I couldn't have you in my room the entire time. That would be a bit awkward, wouldn't it? Unless.."

"Don't even think about it! I am still a little mad at you, and I am engaged. Remember?" I held up my hand to show him the diamond on my finger. My cheeks were burning at the nerve of him to suggest something like that.

"I was only joking. I rather prefer solitude to constantly trying to keep someone else happy. Shall we?" He offered his arm, which I playfully smacked before allowing to be led away.

* * * * * * * *

Before I knew it, two weeks had gone by. It had been two weeks of new discoveries and realizations. Most of all, I had returned to my imagination which had so long ago escaped me. Jareth filled my days with tours of the castle and labyrinth and history lessons of the fae. When he wasn't there to make me laugh with a funny anecdote, I spent time wandering the hallways of the castle, the library, the garden, anywhere I could think and dream. I often thought about what spending my life would be like in the castle, only to brush away thoughts of what living in the castle would ultimately mean. I would have to be apart from my family and friends, and I knew that the separation would be too hard on me.

Nights were a different story. They were lonely-I couldn't sleep most of the time, and I stared at the ceiling thinking about Mark. Not that I wanted to, But, I couldn't just forget about him. He was the man I was supposed to marry, the one that I was going to promise to love and obey forever. I felt caught in a trap, one of my own design and making. Tears soaked my pillow, and I fell into old habits of covering up what had happened. Jareth was never suspicious (at least I thought that he wasn't) of my nightly crying. When he saw me in the morning, I was always ready with a smile and eyes that were not puffy. When I could sleep, it was filled with hellish dreams and often I woke up in a cold sweat, not remembering where I was at first and fearing every dark corner of my room.

After spending a few sleepless nights in my room, I began to venture out into the darkened castle at night. Two nights found me wandering aimlessly until the dawn, and a third saw me in the library, admiring shelf after shelf of books, some of which were in a language that I could not even begin to understand. I had pulled one off of the shelf and opened it when I was startled by a voice behind me.

"That one isn't too interesting, unless you love reading about the agricultural properties of the Underground." I turned quickly to see Jareth behind me a few rows, arms crossed over his chest.

"Jareth! You scared me!"

"How do you think I felt when I heard someone rattling around in here? I felt certain that I had been invaded by many small noise-makers." His eyes danced in the light of the torch on the wall. "What are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought that I would come in here. What are you doing in here?"

"Ahh, always questioning motives, aren't you? I can be in here if I want. It is my castle after all." He took a few step closer until he was directly in front of me.

"Well, I think I will be going. Good night." I turned again to go, but Jareth called to my back.

"Is there anything you want to talk about, Sarah? You seem preoccupied."

I stopped and turned again. I expected him to be smirking like he usually was, but he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. I sighed as I surrendered to the inevitability of the conversation we were going to have. "Can we go someplace else? I never feel like I can say anything out loud in a library."

The room around us wavered and melted, turning into a sort of meeting room filled with tables and chairs. A large fire was crackling merrily in the fireplace, and beside it sat two chairs. He led me to them and we sat, staring at the flames lick at the inside of the fireplace. 

Into the night we talked about anything and everything. I didn't talk about Mark, to be honest I didn't think about Mark when I was with Jareth. He made me forget the hurt that I had been through and focus on all the positive things that had happened in my life. And so, from then on, that is how we ended our days. Near the end, I realized that I was falling in love with Jareth and I was afraid of my feelings. I knew that I had to do something, so I made a startling announcement during one of our talks .

"I have to go back."

Jareth looked pained, "Whatever for?"

I avoided his eyes and twisted my hands in my lap. "I have a family that deserves to know that that I am alright. I have a job that I have been absent from for over a week. I could get used to being waited on hand and foot, but I am an adult now, and I need to face the realities that I have created for myself."

Jareth sighed and closed his eyes. "If you must go, then you must. But, I will be watching."

"You really don't have to. I will be fine."

Jareth kept silent and I knew why. He was afraid for me to go back. He knew what waited for me and what was bound to happen. But I was determined to go and face Mark again. It was weighing on my conscious that he had heard nothing from me, and for some strange reason I didn't think that he deserved to be left in the dark.

"Sarah, I want to show you something." Jareth said abruptly.

"What is it?"

"Come with me." Jareth took my hand and led me through the castle, up staircases and through drafty corridors. At the end of a particularly dark hallway, we came upon a set of large wood doors. Dust thickly covered them, and I knew that they had not been opened in years. They creaked on their rusty hinges as Jareth pushed them open, revealing a large, darkened, open-air room. I saw immense chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, holding candles that had never been lit. Large draperies closed off most of the room from the night air, but a few of them had been pulled back to reveal the night sky. The polished stone floor shone beneath our feet as we crossed the room, heading for the balcony that was on the other side of the room.

"What is this room?" I asked, looking up at the ornate paintings on the ceiling.

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like a ballroom, or someplace you would hold a party."

"Yes, except it has never been used. I never found a reason to open it up for use before."

"Then why now?"

"Because it is the best place to view what I am about to show you."

"And what is that?"

"Just wait."

We stepped out onto the balcony into the beautiful night. The air was cool and filled with moonlight from a perfectly round moon. My eyes swept across the silvery landscape, seeing lights glow within windows in the goblin city, watching the hedges and walls of the labyrinth shimmer.

"Sarah, look." Jareth pointed up to the sky, where hundreds of shooting stars were darting across the sky. "It is said in Fae folklore, that if a newly wed couple stands beneath such a sky, their lives will be filled with many blessings. The shooting stars represent their dreams and hopes and wishes for their future life together, starting out on their journey into becoming a reality. Such a night only comes once every two hundred years."

From somewhere in the city, a creature began to sing in a language I did not understand. The melody was beautiful, haunting, like a song about a lost love. I stood mesmerized, not wanting to take my eyes away from the beautiful sight. If only....

"It's late. You should get some sleep. I will take you back in the morning." Disappointment ran thick in his voice.

"Wait. Can't we just stand here?"

"It is rather late, Sarah."

"I know, but I don't want to go in just yet." I glanced about the balcony, then into the beautiful room, "Dance with me?"

"What for?"

"Because, it would be a shame not to have used this room, and we never got to finish the dance from before."

"Before?"

"You know, the one that caused me to swear off peaches?"

"Ah yes. Well, I suppose since it is your last night here, I will indulge you."

The creature sang on as we made our way back into the ballroom. Jareth quickly caught the tempo and moved me around the floor with ease, as if waltzing was something that he did everyday. My heart was hammering in my chest, threatening to give away the feelings that were going through my head. I couldn't help but wish that it wasn't my last night in this magical land where everything was possible.


	5. Dreams

Jareth lifted my chin and brought his lips to mine

AN: Okay, short chapter, but VERY IMPORTANT!!! I know that I only updated yesterday, but this part has been itching to get out ever since I started this story. Okay, go read now.. 

Chapter 5

Dreams

I ran through the dense fog, panicking. I knew that if I could run just a little bit faster and for just a few moments more I would be safe. The only problem was that my feet felt like I had attached twenty pound weights to each ankle. The faster I tried to run, the heavier the weights got. I could hear him behind me, calling out my name, searching through the mist. His voice was cold and lifeless, void of any emotion. Just as I turned to flee from him again, I saw a figure standing before me.

"Jareth!"

He didn't see me. I was right in front of him, yet he looked right through me.

"Sarah, I can't find you! Please answer me!" He looked around, trying to pierce the fog with his eyesight, but still did not see me standing less than five feet in front of him.

I reached out my arms to catch his attention, desperate to touch him. "Jareth! I'm here! Please, I'm right in front of you!"

Just then, a hand slipped around my waist from behind, and another grabbed my upper left arm, yanking it back to my side. 

I froze, barely able to breathe. He had me and he knew it. I could feel his breath on my neck, in my hair, everywhere.

"Gotcha!"

* * * * * * * *

I awoke sobbing from my dream. It had all seemed so real, and yet it wasn't. A hand cupped my cheek and wiped the tears from my eyes. I opened them to see Jareth, looking tired but very concerned.

"Jareth, why are you here?"

"You were calling out my name in your sleep. If you hadn't woken yourself up, I would have. What were you dreaming?" He sat on the edge of the bed.

"Does it matter? They always end up with him. He caught me. I wish the dreams would just go away." I sighed and sat up, glad to be out of my torturous nightmare.

"They will if.."

"If what?"

"Nothing, never mind. It's not important." His shoulders slumped, and he stared dejectedly at the floor. 

I fought the urge to reach out and hold him, fighting a battle with myself over how I felt. After a few agonizing minutes of silence, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to stay with him forever. I wanted it with every fiber in my body. But I didn't know if I was willing to give up everything for it. It all seemed to good to be true. I was afraid that I was too happy, that I would wake up any minute and find that the past two weeks had just been a dream. I wanted to tell Jareth so much, yet I was so afraid of what the consequences of my actions would be. 

To hell with it. 

I reached out my hand and covered Jareth's that was resting on top of the blanket. Slowly, I ran my hand up his arm and gently moved closer to him. My hand reached his face and he brought his own hand up to cover mine, kissing my palm. Turning, Jareth lifted my chin and brought his lips to mine. I felt as if fireworks were going off inside my head as he slowly pulled away and looked into my eyes as if searching for a reason to keep going. I was shocked at the shy and tender kiss. Mark had never kissed me like that before. Even our first kiss was enough to make my lips almost bruise the next day. Now, here was Jareth kissing me like I would break. I clamped my hands on the back of his head, bringing him closer to return the kiss. One swift move found our limbs tangled in anticipation.

I heard him sigh and wondered what could possibly be bothering him at a time like this. He broke away and looked into my disappointed face.

"Sarah, we can't..."

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't right. You are not mine to have."

"I've never felt so sure about anything in my life. Please."

Not a word was said before he kissed me again and began to work the tension out of my muscles. As the evening went on, I couldn't help but think about how wrong he was. I was totally and completely his. 

* * * * * * * *

Just before dawn I woke again, still wrapped in Jareth's arms. The room was beginning to get light, light enough for me to make out the shapes and colors of the tapestry hanging on the wall next to the bed. It was covered with pictures of two children, a blonde boy and a brunette girl. The detail was amazing, and I wished that I had seen it earlier so that I could look at it up close. But nothing would prompt me to move from my warm confines now. 

Jareth stirred next to me, and mumbled something about the bog. I giggled quietly and turned towards him, thinking he was awake. 

"What did you say?"

It took him a few seconds to answer me. I didn't think he would when I realized that he was still asleep.

"I love you, Sarah."


	6. Decisions

The hours that passed later that morning went too fast for me

AN: This chapter started out different than the way it ended up. I think I know where it is going, but I am not so sure anymore. But hey! You all get to find out what Jareth did to Mark. It isn't really all that bad. More comical than anything else. 

Chapter 6

Decisions

The hours that passed later that morning went too fast for me. I desperately wanted to stay, but a part of me still nagged me about returning to my normal life. Jareth and I had barely spoken, save for a few whispered words after we woke. We were both preoccupied with our thoughts. I knew he didn't want me to leave, but thought that I would resent him for keeping me within his world. 

Jareth finally broke the silence at breakfast when he told me what had been done to explain my absence.

"Your great-aunt Rachel died and you went home for her funeral. You were her favorite grand niece, so to follow her wishes, you spent a week at her lakeside cabin, which you inherited, and scattered her ashes in the lake. Unfortunately, the cabin is not equipped with any sort of communication devices, and the nearest is an hour drive away. Not that you felt like talking to anyone. Her death deeply affected you, and the week away from everything has done you some good about coming to terms with her death. No one should ask you any pesky questions, not even Mark. He had things of his own to deal with."

"What did you do to him?" I asked, remembering that he had never told me what he had done.

Jareth didn't look up from his plate, "Nothing he didn't already have coming." 

I decided to drop the topic, pretending to be interested in how he was able to come up with such a story about my absence, "How were you able to arrange all of this?"

"I have ways. Now, are you ready to go back?" He scooted his chair away from the table and held out his hand to me.

I slowly nodded my head, not believing that I would ever be ready to leave him. How could I have thought that I could leave easily when I felt the way I did? In two weeks I had become a completely new person, one with an active imagination, a taste for life, and strength to take on my new experiences. I had found a love from an unexpected source and had shared a night of passion with him. I was comfortable in my surroundings and knew that I belonged in his world. A tear rolled down my cheek as I made a very difficult decision. I wanted to come back, wanted to stay with Jareth forever. I was going to come back when I had tied up everything in my 'normal' life. 

I pulled on Jareth's hand, motioning him to stop. "Jareth, wait a minute. I can't do this forever. I can't live in that world for the rest of my life knowing what this world is like. Give me two months. After that, regardless of if I call you or not, I want you to come and get me. Will you do that for me?" I looked into his eyes as I spoke, and I could see the elation build as he heard my words.

"Anything for you. But, are you sure that you want to leave entirely? It is a big change for you, and life here is not always easy. I don't want you to do anything that you aren't ready for."

"I'm sure. Now, the sooner I go, the sooner I will be able to come back, right?" 

In response, he pulled me to him and held me for several minutes. We stood there as if the whole world could fall down around us and we wouldn't move. So many things were unspoken, so many emotions left to deal with, but neither one of us needed to. We could read each other perfectly, and that is all the reassurance that we needed. I was his and he was mine. 

* * * * * * * *

At first, it felt odd to be back in my house. I couldn't call it home anymore. It wasn't home. My home was far away with Jareth. After the first week, I slipped back into my old routines: work, home, grocery store, phone calls to friends, things like that. I slowly prepared myself for the separation that was only a short seven weeks away. I began talking to my boss about finding a replacement for me, and I told my friends that I was going to be moving out of town. I had even started a countdown calendar in the kitchen, ticking off the days until I would return home.

The one thing that I was not prepared for was the way Mark behaved around me. He treated me like he did when we first started dating. He never said a harsh word, raised his voice, or even made an attempt to argue with me. It was like he was courting me all over again. But I knew it wouldn't last. I had even been brave enough to slip his ring off of my finger for the last time and give it back to him. I had worn it for the first few days while in the castle before taking it off and leaving it in a drawer. Now that I had it back on, it felt heavy and binding. I could see the rage boil up inside of his eyes when his fingers closed around the glittering stone, but it was quickly replaced by a look of not understanding. 

"But why, Sarah?"

"I told you. I don't think that I am ready for that sort of commitment. Aunt Rachel's death made me think a lot about my life and the direction it was taking. I just don't know what I want right now. Please, don't hate me. I just think it is better for the both of us." I was lying, I did know what direction I wanted my life to go in. But, the rest of it was true.

"Does this have anything to do with that fight we had? I am so sorry about that. I came over the next morning to apologize, but you were gone. Once I saw the note that you left explaining what had happened, I realized what an ass I had been and felt terrible. I'm sorry, can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can forgive you."*I just choose not to* I thought to myself. "Is there anything else you want to tell me? You seem a little distant."

"While you were gone, something did happen. I had the freakiest dream. Maybe it wasn't a dream, maybe it did actually happen. I don't know. After I came over to see you on the morning that you left, I went back home and crashed on the couch. The next thing I remember is being in this place that smelled like shit. Worse than that, actually. Really indescribable. The next thing I know, this guy in tight pants comes over and starts talking to me like he knows me. Then, out of nowhere come all of these short things and they have these sticks with mouths on them and they start whacking me with these sticks and the mouths started biting me. Weird thing about it is that I could actually feel the pain. It was everywhere. On my arms, in my hair, on my legs. To top it all off, the guy starts throwing things at me. They almost looked like clear round balls. I started ducking them so only one hit me, but that was enough. It hurt so much that I was knocked over and the guy comes over to me and says "Now you know what it is like." and kicks me in the side. I laid there for what seemed like hours, in pain and in this place that smelled bad. Next thing I know, I was back on the couch, pain free. I had slept the entire day, but at least I wasn't dreaming any more. How messed up is that?"

While Mark's dream unfolded for me, I fought the urge to laugh. Knowing my state of mind at that time, I would have been furious with Jareth if he had told me what he had done. But now, all I could do was listen as Mark told me how terrible it all had been. Later that night, we said our goodbyes and I closed another door in my life. I was surprised at how easy it all had been, glad that I was finally rid of Mark. 

I walked to the kitchen and marked off the day on my calendar. Only six and a half more weeks to go. 

* * * * * * * * 

Things seemed to go pretty normally until one morning after I had been back in my house for a month. I woke up feeling awful, and I barely made it to the bathroom before I got sick in the toilet. My head was spinning as I lay on the cold tiled floor, wondering where I could have picked up such a bad case of the flu. I spent the next few days close to my bed, only venturing out of it occasionally. My secretary Rebecca came over one afternoon and persuaded me to go to the doctor. After three days of continually getting sick, I was willing to go anywhere anyone would take me, as long as I would feel better after going. 

The nurse was friendly looking, with strawberry blonde hair that was pulled back away from her face. She took my temperature, my blood pressure, my pulse, and went over the list of usual questions, hovering over my face as I lay flat on the examination table. 

"Are you on any medication right now?" 

"No." 

"Are you allergic to any medication?" 

"No." 

"When was your last period?" 

I couldn't remember. Not right away, at least. 

"Miss Williams? Hon, are you alright? Are you going to be sick again?" 

"No. Um, it was about eight weeks ago, I think. 

"Hmmm....Is there a chance that you could be pregnant?" 

"Well...." 

"Never mind. We can let you talk to the doctor about that. Do you think that you are well enough to sit up?" 

And so the whole appointment went. The doctor could find nothing wrong with me, other than the fact that I couldn't hold anything down. He drew blood for tests and sent it away for some sort of quick scan. I laid on the table for nearly an hour before he came back with the typical manila folder in his hand. 

"Well, my dear, there is nothing for you to worry about." 

"So, I'm ok? Why am I so sick then?" 

"You are fine. The morning sickness will pass on its own." 

"Morning sickness?" 

"Yes, Ms. Williams. Congratulations, you are pregnant." 


	7. The Calm

I went about my days in a numb shock

I finally get to put this up!! Hooray!! It's been done for a few days, and now I get to share it with all of you lovely people. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

The Calm

I went about my days in a numb shock. More tests confirmed what I already knew: I was a month along. As luck would have it, I was absolutely certain that Mark was not the father, and Jareth was. Once I knew this, I wished I had told Jareth to come and get me sooner. I wanted him to experience this along with me and it was torturous having to wait another three weeks before I saw him again. After I got a hold on the morning sickness, I busied myself with training my replacement at work and disposing of most of my Aboveground possessions by giving them to friends and coworkers, or selling them in neighborhood garage sales.

My friends shook their heads at my bizarre behavior, but kept their silence. I finally quieted their fears of my insanity by announcing that I had met a foreign man who had attended Aunt Rachel's funeral. We fell in love at first sight and he had asked me to marry him and move to his home country with him. I could almost hear Jareth laughing heartily as I carefully wove my story for their benefit. I knew he was watching me when I fabricated the story, but not when I had found out about the baby. That was still my secret that I had yet to share with anyone.

There was actually a very good reason why I hadn't told anyone that I was pregnant. Mark had been calling me several times a day on a regular basis, and the last thing I wanted was for him to find out. At first I consented to talking to him, glad to hear that he had reconciled with his family and had begun anger management classes. As my going home day drew nearer, I began ignoring his calls. I knew that he wanted to try again, but I had moved on with my life. Everyday I grew more and more anxious when the phone rang, praying that it wouldn't be him and wishing that Jareth would come sooner than he promised he would.

However, Mark was not on my mind as I prepared for a task that I had put off long enough. I was going to tell Jareth my secret. I tried to play the scene out in my head using so many different words, but everything seemed all wrong. I wasn't quite sure how Jareth would take it, so my envisions always ended right after I actually said it. I became so frustrated with the whole thing that I blurted out his name without thinking.

"Jareth!"

"You called? About time, too. You have no idea how boring things got after you left. I knew you couldn't make it the entire time. Almost, though, and I admire you for your ability to stay here as long as you did." He slid his hand around my back, pulling me to him and holding me there. I had almost forgotten what that was like. I sighed as his lips brushed mine. It was a wonder that I had made it as long as I had without him. But, that was beside the point.

"Jareth, I have something to tell you." I said between the kisses he was placing on my lips.

"Hmm....go on, I'm listening." He busied himself with wrapping his fingers over my own with one hand and running the other through my hair.

"You're not making this easy." I savored each stroke of his hand through my hair, but realized that it was distracting me from telling him, "Will you stop that and look at me?"

Jareth dropped his hand from my hair and grabbed my other hand, "My dear, I thought we were past the petty argument stage."

I lowered my head and took my eyes from his face, "Well, knowing us, we've only just begun."

"Begun what? I love you, you love me. What more is there to argue about?" Jareth's eyebrows knitted together, showing that he clearly did not understand my train of thought.

"What to name our children, for example."

"We shall cross that bridge when we..."His voice trailed off as he finally got it. "Sarah, is this a bridge that we have to cross soon?"

I nodded, "Pretty soon."

"Am I..?"

"Yes."

Jareth looked stunned. He didn't let go of me, just standing there like he was frozen solid. After a few seconds, I got extremely uncomfortable at his silence and began to pull away.

"If it upsets you so much, then why don't you say something? I've enjoyed it, but if you don't then.."

Jareth's eyes came back into focus, and he looked right into mine. "What are you saying? Of course it doesn't upset me. I'm a little surprised, but it's a good surprise. Don't ever think otherwise. I'm trying to imagine the castle with children running through the halls." He framed my face with his hands and smiled. "My Sarah. My beautiful, darling Sarah."

Relief flooded through my entire being as we held each other in the bareness of my living room. I hadn't realized how much was riding on my sharing the secret with him, but I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I realized what a fool I had been, thinking that he wouldn't take it well. We stood in the middle of the floor, countless thoughts running through our heads. We probably could have stood their all night had Jareth not spoken.

"Sarah?"

"Hmm?"

"Does Mark know about this?"

"No, he doesn't."

Jareth looked panicked. "You've got to leave here. Come back with me now and leave him. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for our child. Sarah, he will kill you if you don't go, especially when he finds out that you are pregnant."

"Don't worry. We broke everything off between us before I even found out. He doesn't know and he won't know. There is no reason for him to. Once I leave in a few days, I won't ever have to think about him ever again. It was really quite easy to break it off with him, too. He didn't even put up and argument."

"I don't think I like the sound of that. He doesn't seem to be the type to just give up like that."

"Will you stop worrying? Everything is fine! Mark has absolutely no reason to suspect anything, and I am coming home in just two short days. Nothing is going to happen."

"Why don't you just come with me tonight? It wouldn't make much of a difference anyhow. What is two days in the grand scheme of things?"

"I know, but I still have a few things to do. I have the carpet cleaners coming tomorrow and I still have a few things at the office.."

Jareth covered my mouth with his own, signaling me to be quiet. I smiled at the thought of him wanting to take me away from all of my Aboveground troubles. Just minutes before, I had had so many things on my mind and now all I could think about was how good it felt to him to hold me again. If I hadn't been so focused on Jareth and how he was making my heart pound, I probably would have heard a key being slid into the lock and the bolt being pushed over.


	8. The Storm

AN

AN: Haaaa Haaaa!!! I finally finished chapter eight! Now you all can be satisfied for at least 12 hours. I know because that is about how long I can go without constantly checking ff.n to see if anything new has been posted. This is a little earlier than I thought I would get to post it, but maybe I will take some time and work on chapter nine this afternoon between classes. Thanks for all of the great reviews that I have gotten so far! I have an inspiration for my next venture into the Underground, so we will see where it takes us! Happy Reading!!!

Chapter 8

The Storm

You know how you have moments in you life when everything seems utterly perfect for a brief moment before coming crashing down at your feet? It's a cruel twist of fate that causes you to be deliriously happy, then reminds you of all the turmoil and chaos that happens in the world. This is the only way that I can describe the events of that evening.

As Jareth and I were lost in the thoughts of parenthood, Mark snuck into my house using the key that I had not asked back from him. It was only when he was just a few feet from me that I sensed his presence. I turned to face him, gaining strength from Jareth and my new found joy. The cold, unblinking look I was getting sent chills down my spine, but it was not enough to deter me from looking right at Mark.

Mark stared at the two of us before saying anything. "So, It all makes sense now. You dump me for one of those theater freaks."

" I don't expect you to understand any of this, but...." I was portraying an air of mild irritation, but really I want to turn and run.

"Oh, I think I understand perfectly. You have a little return to your childhood when Aunt What's-her-name kicks the bucket, and you fall for some abnormal freak who probably doesn't have a decent job. Sounds like you're headed down the right path, Sarah."

"Why don't you leave Sarah alone to live her own life the way she wants to live it?" Jareth's voice came across as silky and smooth as a cat's fur, even though I could hear the anger growing in it.

Mark stared at Jareth, seemingly to debate whether or not he should be threatened, "I don't recall including you in this conversation, Blondie. How about you keeping your mouth shut?"

I felt Jareth tense up beside me. Mark was doing something that no one had ever dared do. He was telling Jareth to shut up. I knew that couldn't be good.

"All Sarah wants is for you to leave her alone."

I could see the rage boil up in Mark's eyes. I thought I knew what was coming. "I told you to stay out of it. I see that I am going to have to shut you up myself."

Feeling ill, I watched Mark reach behind his back. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around my stomach, fearful for the innocent life I carried. I saw the glint of the overhead light shine off the gun in Mark's hand before Jareth stepped in front of me.

The roar of two shots rang through my house, filling my ears with their terrible music. Jareth jerked and shuddered, then fell to the floor in a heap. His eyes were closed and he was still.

Shocked at the sight of Jareth so helpless, I fell to my knees and reached for him, only to be yanked back to a standing position facing Mark. He kept a tight hold on my wrist, pulling me so close to him that I could feel the short and quick breathes coming out of his nose.

"What's the matter? Pretty boy there can't fight like a man so he needs you to protect him? He picked a poor bodyguard."

I wrenched my wrist out of his grasp. "Stop this! You attacked him without warning or else it would be you on the floor instead of him. If he.." I began to back up.

"Well, he's not, is he? You know, you have a big problem, Sarah." I slowly backed up against the counter.

"You always root for the underdog."

Mark drew closer as I leaned backwards, trying to put as much space between us as I could.

"You never cheer on the hero."

My fingers inched across the counter top behind me, bumping into something metal.

"You should never ignore the hero, Sarah. They always end up saving the damsel in distress."

My fingers explored the metal object and finally found a handle. It was my cast iron frying pan.

"Isn't that the way the fairy tales always go, Sarah?"

"Yes, but I doubt the damsel would ever do this to the hero."

I gripped the handle and swung the pan as hard as I could towards Mark's head. As the two made contact, the pan began to vibrate so violently that I dropped it with a clatter on the floor. Mark's eyes glazed over and he stumbled backwards, loosing his balance and falling to the floor unconscious.

Seconds ticked by as I realized what I had done. At first I thought I'd killed him, but no such luck. He was still breathing. Awash with dread, I crossed the room to Jareth who was still laying quietly. He was breathing, but just barely.

"Jareth, don't worry. Everything is going to be alright. Just hang on." My voice was calm and gentle, a far cry from what was going on inside my head.

He stirred beneath my touch, but never opened his eyes. A groan from Mark brought me back to our situation. I had to find a phone. The only one left was in my bedroom. Quickly, I left Jareth and hurried up the stairs and down the hall, into my bedroom. Grabbing the phone and stretching the cord to the closet, I shut the door and dialed 911.

One ring

Two rings

Three rings

"911 operator. What is your emergency?"

"My name is Sarah Williams and there..

click

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

The phone had gone dead.

"You shouldn't have done that, Sarah. Don't you know that the cops always want to put someone in jail when they respond to a call like that? You wouldn't want your boyfriend in jail, now would you?" Mark's voice came from just outside of the closet. I knew he had me trapped.

Slowly, I drew a breath and exhaled, somehow finding the courage to reply. "We broke up, Mark. Deal with it."

"Oh, but I have tried dealing with it. It didn't work." He slid the closet door open and motioned for me to come out. It was then that I saw the scissors laying next to the severed phone line.

That did it. 

"You bastard!" I reached back with the phone in my hand and smacked him across the face with it. I grabbed the scissors and made a run for the bedroom door. I almost made it to the top of the stairs before he caught up with me. I felt his hand grab the back of my head and he yanked at a fist full of my hair to make me stop. Pain shot through my head and I was vaguely aware of him dragging me towards the top of the stairs. Before I knew it, I was teetering over the edge of the top stair, staring down at what seemed like an endless flight of stairs. It was then that I realized what he was going to do.

"Mark please. You don't want to do this."

"If you can't be mine, then no one else can have you either." He shoved the back of my head forward, pitching me down the staircase. The world around me moved in slow motion as I made contact with several steps before coming to land at the bottom. I was unfortunate enough not to have lost consciousness at that point, so I felt the searing pain surge through my body. Everything hurt, but I was still alive.

I lay very still at the bottom of the stairs, hoping that he would leave. I knew that my left arm was broken, even though I dared not move it. I suspected that I had also broken a leg, as I had heard several snaps during the course of my fall. I heard the stairs creak quietly as Mark slowly descended towards me. Powerless, all I could do was pray and wait. I knew that he was coming closer, watching every move I made, the muffled sounds on the carpet growing more and more menacing with each step he took. He reached the bottom and I felt the toe of his shoe come to rest next to my side. After a few seconds, his voice was in my ear, barely a whisper.

"Looks like I didn't finish what I started. Can't have any loose ends lying around causing me problems, now can I?"

Old habits kicked in, and I tightened up as best I could, preparing for the blows that I knew I was going to receive. It was then that my hand curled around the scissors that had miraculously stayed in my grasp during my fall. In one second, I formulated a plan that was a long shot, but worth a try. I rolled onto my side, looked Mark right in the eyes, and plunged the tip of the blades into his right calf.

Mark howled in pain as I let go of the scissors and attempted to get to my feet. Then gun fell from his hand and I reached out with my good arm to retrieve it. Pain washing over me again, I slumped to my knees and crawled back over to Jareth, still laying unmoving in a pool of blood, leaving Mark to grapple with the scissors. I tried to wake him, shaking his shoulder and calling out his name.

"Jareth! Don't leave me like this! Please! I need you. You can't leave me!"

His eyes opened slowly and focused on my face. I felt his hand slowly reach for my face, then softly caress my cheek. I began to sob uncontrollably for the first time that evening. My tears splashed down onto Jareth's face, causing the corners of his mouth to turn up in a soft smile.

"Shh.. Don't cry dearest Sarah. Everything is going to be just fine. You'll see.

"Yes, everything will be just fine." Mark's cold, menacing voice came from behind me.

Panicking, my mind clouded with thoughts until a sharp edge poked me in the ribs. Mark's gun was concealed between my body and Jareth's. Automatically, I rolled over on my back.

Aim for the heart and shoot to kill

Squeeze the trigger, don't pull it

Bang

Bang

The echo bounce off the walls of my house. Mark stumbled and fell to his knees, staring at me in disbelief. He put his fingers up to the rapidly growing bright spots on his white shirt. Before he fell to the floor, I heard him whisper something that to this day I have not forgotten.

"I only wanted to love you."

The kitchen began to spin as I lost my hold on my consciousness. My vision began to fade and I looked nervously around at the carnage on the kitchen floor: Mark staring off into space, his shirt almost completely red now. Jareth...was gone.

I fell back to the floor and lay my cheek on the cool tile. As the warm, welcoming black world enveloped me, I heard sirens and shouts coming from outside, doors opening, more shouting, then shuffling feet. I didn't know nor care what any of these noises meant, I just knew that the dark was better than the light.


	9. Grey Mornings

What seemed like moments spent in the welcome blackness was actually hours

AN: The end is near... Perhaps one of these days I will write a story that will need to be over ten chapters in length, but this is not one of them. Alas, our story must come to an end sometime. There will be one more chapter after this one-more of an epilogue really. I'm not planning on it being very long, but then again I have been surprised. This story was not meant to be as long as it turned out to be.

Chapter 9

Grey Mornings

What seemed like moments spent in the welcome blackness was actually days. Images drifted around me in that darkness, images of my father and mother fighting, Karen, Toby, Rebecca, Mark, the Labyrinth, and Jareth. Jareth most of all. The images began to fade, and were replaced with whispers that I couldn't understand, beeping noises, the muffled ring of a telephone, and the feeling of feathers against my cheek and hands. This new noisy world was a jarring difference from my comfortable dark one, and I fought to block out the noise and re-escape into my dream world. I had almost accomplished this when I heard someone calling out my name.

"Sarah"

No, I wouldn't open my eyes. All that waited for me was the terrible reality of what was going on around me.

"Sarah, love. Come back to me."

It was a male voice, but not the one that I feared so much. This one was soft and soothing, bringing comfort and security with it. It was the voice that I had subconsciously longed to hear most of my waking hours and heard so many times in my sleep. As I became more conscious of my surroundings, my brain began to register pain from all over my body. I struggled to get my eyes open, and when I finally did, I was met with possibly the most wonderful sight in the world.

There he sat. Not Mark, but Jareth.

His face was marked with concern, but he was the only thing that I wanted to see. A smile broke across his face as our eyes met.

"Welcome back. I thought that I might have lost you."

It was odd to see him in such a modern setting, surrounded by medical equipment that I could not even begin to name. He had taken on the appearance of a human, wearing ordinary clothes and had cast off his air of regality that followed him in his own world. 

My eyelids grew heavy again, and I reached out to him regardless of the protests I was getting from my aching body.

"Jareth"

* * * * * * * *

The next few days passed in a blur. There were short periods of time when I was awake, and Jareth was always there beside the bed. A tall and thin doctor hovered over my bed on several occasions, sometimes accompanied by a nurse to whom he whispered to constantly. I didn't say much to the doctor, only yeses and no's when he asked questions. During one of my awake times, I had discovered my left arm in a cast, as well as a heavily bandaged right leg. I could only surmise what had happened to me that I was not aware of.

When I was asleep, I was looking for something. I was in my familiar mist shrouded surroundings, but Mark was no longer chasing me. I felt anxious and tense when I was dreaming, as though I was trying to hold on to something that was determined to be elusive. Every time, I gave up looking. It was too hard to try to find it.

Finally the day came that I woke without feeling groggy or drugged. Jareth was in his ever present seat beside the bed, covered with a blanket and hanging his head so that his chin touched his chest. My eyes drifted from his sleeping form to the window, out of which I could see a cloud covered sky and hear the rain drenching the outside of the glass. I sighed when I realized that I was finally on the road to recovery, and there would be no more escapes into my wonderful dark world that had brought so much comfort to me in the previous days.

My stirring must have woken Jareth, for he opened his eyes and let the blanket fall from his shoulders. Immediately, he looked over at me and leapt out of his seat when he saw me awake.

"Sarah! How long have you been awake? Why didn't you wake me?"

"Calm down. I've only been awake for a few minutes. I didn't want to wake you because you look so peaceful when you are asleep. One could almost forget that you are a king."

He immediately relaxed and smiled a bit, "Ahh..That's my girl. I knew it was only a matter of time before you were your old self again."

"Yes, well one can only be on medication for so long. However, I want to be out of here as soon as I can. Have they told you anything?"

Jareth suddenly found the table across the room very fascinating, as he kept his eyes locked on its surface, "Yes, as a matter of fact, they have. Everything is fine."

"Good, the sooner I get out, the sooner we can get home. Right?"

"Right." His smile was strained, almost rehearsed. I knew there was something that he wasn't telling me by the way that he avoided looking at me. From what I could see, his eyes were full of pain.

"What's wrong? Is there something that you want to say?"

"Perhaps you'd be better speaking to the doctor.."

"No I want to hear it from you. What is it?"

Jareth took my hand and brought his face directly in front of mine. "Sarah, never forget how much I love you right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything is not alright. They tried everything...it was too late...the fall was too much.." His voice broke and he hung his head so I would not see the tears that I knew were flowing down his cheeks. I knew what he could not say.

My baby

Our child, the one thing that had kept me going to past few weeks was gone, extinguished like the flame on a candle. I felt empty inside. I hated Mark for it. He hadn't even known, yet he still managed to attack were it would hurt me the most.

In the silence that followed, hot tears rolled down my cheeks. I felt lost, not knowing where to turn or what to say. I wanted to curl up and disappear, to just lay in bed and not move, to do anything but have to face my terrible reality. I knew I had to say something eventually, but what could I to say to someone who had given me something so precious that had been so cruelly taken away?

"Jareth, I'm sorry."

"What for? There was nothing that could be done. You certainly were not in any position to do anything about it. I should have tried harder to take you with me. I could have stopped it....I should have...done something."

"What do you mean?"

"I tried, God knows I tried to take you with me. I just couldn't, not that I didn't want to. I knew that you would be better off with me than here. I just wasn't strong enough."

"Is that why you disappeared?"

"Yes. I was pulled back to the Underground. I had no control over it. It is the reason that I am here to watch over you now instead of laying in the next room, pretending to be injured."

"Pretending?"

"You forget, Sarah, that I am immortal. I cannot be killed by any mortal weapon. I can be hurt, but my wounds will eventually heal themselves. In this case, I needed to return to the Underground in order to recover faster. I wish that I had not left you. If I had known what would happen..."

He fell silent, leaving both of us to think to ourselves what was too painful to say. Several minutes passed before he bent and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, burying his head in my hair.

"I'm so sorry."

* * * * * * * *

Days passed, each one getting a little easier to bear. The physical pain dulled, along with the emotional roller coaster that I found myself on. I became depressed at the drop of a hat, even if I had been rolling with laughter only minutes before. In time, this too began to lessen, until I stoically passed my days in the quietness of my hospital room. Jareth was always there, never making me wonder where he was. We talked as we had when sitting by the fire in the castle, about anything and everything that came into our heads. It was during one of these conversations that I saw a genuine smile come across his face since that horrible night. 

As much as I was relieved by the thought of never being bothered by Mark again, there was still a nagging at the back of my mind that something was not right. My fears were brought forth when I saw a man in a suit approach the nurse's desk and motion to my door. I was looking forward to checking out of the hospital later that day, so I tensed when I saw the nurse come around the desk, walk to my door and open it.

"Miss Williams? There is a detective outside who wants to speak with you. Are you feeling up to it?"

I sighed with resignation, "I suppose so. I knew this was coming sooner or later." 

The nurse stepped back and motioned for the man to enter. As soon as he stepped into my room, I knew that he did not bring bad news.

"Hello Miss Williams. I hope that you are feeling better?"

"Yes, I am thank you. Please, sit and make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you. It's been a long couple of days. You may not recall the first time we met. You were pretty heavily sedated at the time, so I'll introduce myself. I'm Agent Daniels from the FBI."

"FBI? what has happened that I don't know about?"

"Nothing, really. Just the positive identification of Michael Peterson's body. He's wanted in four state for the deaths of former girlfriends."

"Who?"

"I'm sorry. I guess in this case it would be Mark Andrews, your former boyfriend. An assumed name, of course, but still the same man. Yu did quite a number on him, I must say."

I blinked and stared at the man opposite me, not quite sure that I had heard him right. "I'm sorry, I guess I am still a little groggy. Are you sure it is the same person?"

"Oh very sure. Your fiancé was quite helpful in giving us a detailed account of every incident between you and Mr. Peter..ah.. Andrews. It follows exactly what happened with the others, except that he didn't succeed with you. We've been watching him for quite some time, suspecting that it was him. I'm happy to say that we were right."

"Oh."

"Just in case you were wondering, no charges against you will be made. You did us all a favor, but at a very high price. I'm sorry for your loss."

I nodded and looked away. 

"Well, I will let you get back to your rest. You won't be hearing from us again, so don't worry about a thing. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a mountain of paperwork waiting at my desk."

"Yes, or course. Thank you again."

Agent Daniels stood and opened the door, nearly walking into Jareth coming in.

"Oh, Mr. King. So nice to see you again. Forgive me if I don't stop. I have a lot to do."

"Of course. It was good to see you as well." He let the door swing shut silently behind him.

I stifled a giggle, "Mr. King? Couldn't you think of anything else?"

"You try coming up with a name on the spot. It isn't that easy. So, are you ready to be out of this retched place?" He stood with his hands on his hips, eyebrows arched and lips curled into a smile.

"I've never felt more ready about leaving anyplace than I do right now."

"Even about leaving everything for me?"

"Well, I will have to leave my family and of course I don't like to think of that."

"Sarah, listen to me. Let me love you and protect you forever. All you need do is say yes. Leave this cruel world and come where you belong. You know you don't belong among such ordinary people living their lives in this crowded and unfeeling world. Come Sarah. Let's go home."

"Can I see my family whenever I want?"

"You know you need never ask."

"Then yes, let's go home."


	10. Epilogue

Author

Author's Note: I had this written days ago and planned to put it up yesterday, Sept 11th. I know that this is small and insignificant compared to what is unfolding around my country right now, but I thought that perhaps some of you would be seeking some break from all of the television broadcasts that have been going on for almost 48 hours now. I pray that all the writers and readers on this site are safe and that their families are safe as well. You are all in my prayers. God Bless America.

-Bella

Epilogue

As I look back on that time, I am reminded of how much we can change as individuals. It has been five years since I left, and not once have I regretted the decision I made. I thought that the separation from my family would be too much for me, but I am happy to say that I can't imagine myself living Aboveground now. Time stands still here, never aging anything, never performing its terrible dance on those we love. Time is not regarded with the same hatred here. Day becomes night, season's change, but most things remain constant. Now I know why Jareth loves it here so much. It can teach you how strong you can be, as well as the beauty of your surroundings. Even though I can now go through the Labyrinth walking backwards and blind folded, it still never ceases to amaze me.

Jareth has taught me as well. He has shown me love through respect, tenderness, romance, passion, a touch, a single word even, as opposed to the angry shouts, physical and mental abuse and forcefulness that I thought were to be my experience in love. In return for the love that he has shown me, I have given him that which was so cruelly taken away from us all those years ago: a son. An heir so like him in every way that even when he was an infant I caught him smirking at me.

Life has taught me many things. Most of them I learned the hard way and had to accept and put to rest in the back of my mind. But, the one that I am reminded of every day is that we all deserve to love someone and have them return that love, free of conditions or restrictions. For without love, we are pitiful creatures indeed.


End file.
